During the history of mankind a wide variety of devices have been developed to aid man in his ability to catch fish and other aquatic creatures. One of the simplest, and yet most important developments was the fish hook. A great variety of fish hooks have been developed for a variety of different reasons.
One of the problems found with most any fish hook is the tendency of the hook to become hung up on stumps, brush, and the like. When an angler finds his hook hug up on such an undesirable object it is generally necessary to break the line or at least move to a position over the hook so that it can possibly be unhooked from the undesired object.
Hanging up in brush or the like has been a particular problem for anglers using live bait such as minnows, shad, or the like. The most common methods of using such live bait have involved either securing a hook to the end of a line and placing a sinker at some point on the line a distance removed from the hook or securing a sinker to the end of the line and then securing the hook to the main line at some point above the sinker, generally by a length of leader line or by the use of a snelled hook. Both these methods give the live bait a degree of freedom which allows it to move in a manner that will attract other aquatic creatures. The degree of freedom of the live bait presents at least one drawback. It tends to make it possible for the bait to cause the hook to become attached to brush or the like. Such can occur when the bait is being lowered to the desired depth, when the bait is swimming at the selected depth, or when the angler decides to raise the bait so that it can be tried in another spot.
The hanging up of hooks in brush and the like interferes with much of the enjoyment of angling. It reduces the time in which one has for productive fishing. It contributes to line loss and bait loss. Further, if one is stranded or lost in a remote situation, the loss of one too many hooks could mean the total loss of one of the most productive ways that such a person has for providing the food that might be needed until that person was rescued.
An object of the present invention is to provide angling devices that have a reduced tendency to become hung up on stumps, logs, brush, and the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide angling devices which are constructed such that if they do become hung on a log or the like, they can often be easily unhooked.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide superior angling devices for use in survival equipment.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hook which can be free to rotate about the axis of the main line, a hook that does not need to be actually tied to the line.
Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings.